And Then There Were Some
by AkuRoku18
Summary: Conan, Ran, and Kogorou are invited to a remote mansion in the middle of nowhere. They, along with eight others, are slowly being targeted and killed. Can Conan catch the killer and save the remaining guests? Based on Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None.'
1. Chapter 1

**HEY GUYS! Wow I said I would upload this like a year ago. Whoops. ^^'' Anyway! Here is the hopefully long awaited long ass Detective Conan fic! Enjoy!** **。(⌒∇⌒。)**

 **Quick disclaimer! I do not own Detective Conan or 'And Then There Were None'.**

* * *

 **And Then There Were Some**

 **Chapter One**

The car bounced along the mountain road, jostling its poor passengers. "Dad, can you PLEASE stop driving like a maniac?!" Ran cried, hanging onto the car door for dear life. The car hurtled over a stone bridge.

"Not a chance!" Kogorou laughed, "Yoko Okino wants to meet me in a secluded house in the middle of nowhere! Certainly you know what that means!"

Sitting in the back seat with his glasses hanging precariously on the edge of his nose, Conan grumbled, "Ms. Okino didn't send you that letter, idiot."

"What's that, shrimp?"

"I said Ms. Okino couldn't be the one who sent you that letter because the initials read U.N.O.! Since when does 'Yoko' or 'Okino' start with a 'u'?" _Honestly, I don't think this man made it past primary school,_ Conan thought irritably, readjusting his glasses. Kogorou ignored the grumpy detective and continued to speed along the bumpy road, knocking Conan's glasses straight off. Before he could pick them up again, the car came to a screeching halt and Conan clonked his head on the back of Ran's seat.

"Ow ow ow…"

"Conan! Are you okay?" Ran asked, turning around to look at the short detective. Conan nodded, so she faced her father and scolded, "You could have really hurt him!"

"He'll be fine. Look at the size of this place!" Kogorou exclaimed. Despite his grumbling and now throbbing head, Conan looked out of the window and was breath taken by the mansion. It was a good four stories tall with ornate marble columns and stained glass windows. The doors were tall and made of a fine oak. It appeared to be of French design, given the various fleur de lis worked into the windows and gate. It was truly a beautiful place.

"Gorgeous…" Ran whispered. She forgot her anger and helped her father unload some of the luggage from the trunk. As Conan exited the car rubbing his head, the tall iron gate opened for the guests to enter.

"Ah, Ran, be a dear for me and take this stuff to the door while I park in a better spot," Kogorou said. Without waiting for an answer, he hopped in the car and drove through the gate. Ran huffed, but did as she was asked.

Conan took ahold of one of the bags and asked Ran, "Can I help?"

"If you'd like. These bags are heavy, though," she replied. Ran picked up one while Conan dragged the other.

 _Damn, this is really, really heavy! Who's bag is this?_ He opened the bag slightly, but that turned out to be a huge mistake as the bag practically exploded with Yoko Okino merchandise. "I should have guessed," Conan sighed, stuffing the junk back into Kogorou's bag. He dragged the heavy bag up to the front steps just as the man himself walked round the corner, whistling and twirling his keys.

"Oh good~! Glad you got that done." Kogorou lit up a cigarette and asked himself, "I wonder where Ms. Okino is…? I thought she'd be here to greet me!"

"She probably isn't here to greet you because she isn't here at all," Conan muttered. This was met with a sharp thwack on the head.

"Did it sound like I was talking to you?"

Ran ushered Conan away from Kogorou and snapped, "Dad, stop hitting him! You could really damage his brain or something!"

 _I think my brain is already damaged just from listening to him talk,_ Conan thought bitterly. Kogorou shrugged and looked back at the gate as another car pulled in.

"That must be her!" Kogorou giggled like a schoolgirl and ran to open the door for her. "It's so nice to see you, Ms. Okin—" He stopped talking straight away when he saw an old, wrinkled, agitated face.

"Excuse me sir," the driver said, turning round to face Kogorou, "Are you the butler we were told to meet? If not then I suggest backing away from the car." Kogorou did just that and the old man climbed out of the car. He seemed to creak with every step. He glared at Kogorou with cold eyes.

"I am Head Judge Taro Wakahisa. You'd best remember that," Wakahisa snapped. Kogorou nodded quickly and let the old judge and his driver pass. The driver carried the judge's bags. Soon, more cars lined the cobblestone driveway and more people gathered at the front doors, chatting and milling about.

Eventually, the large oak doors slowly creaked open, revealing an ornately decorated foyer. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the large room. Everyone filed inside and the doors shut behind them. The foyer, upon closer inspection, had several large tapestries, depicting strange beasts and battles, adorning the walls.

Conan couldn't help but admire the beautiful room. _This is all very nice, but where is our host?_ he thought. Almost as if on cue, two people, a man and a woman, appeared on either staircase leading up from the foyer. They walked down the stairs slowly and almost mechanically.

"Welcome to the manor. I am Kazuki Ibuka, and this is my wife, Satomi Ibuka. We will be taking care of you for the duration of your stay," Mr. Ibuka said slowly. He and Mrs. Ibuka bowed to their guests, and their guests bowed back.

"I will show you to your rooms. Please follow me," Mrs. Ibuka said. And she did just that. She led the nine guests to their individual rooms. She wasn't expecting a ninth visitor, so she allowed Conan to stay in Ran's room. "Dinner will be served in five minutes," she said in a monotone voice. Mrs. Ibuka left silently, as if she were never there in the first place.

Ran unpacked her and Conan's clothes into the empty dresser and asked, "Seems like a nice place, huh, Conan?" But Conan was deep in thought.

 _Somehow this all seems very familiar…_

"Conan?"

"Hm? What? Yeah it's great all right. Eh heh heh…" _What is it that is so eerily familiar about this whole situation? I guess I'll have to wait and see…_

* * *

Everyone sat around the dinner table and enjoyed an excellent meal. Ten little china soldiers lined the middle of the table. The guests had introduced themselves:

"Taro Wakahisa. Head Judge," Wakahisa said sourly.

"Masami Tojo, and I do expect you to remember it," Tojo snapped. She was a sharp-faced woman who had no patience for the younger generations.

"Dr. Yamato Tsukuda. If you ever feel ill during our stay, please come see me!" Dr. Tsukuda said kindly. He seemed a very sad man under his happy, round face.

While lighting a cigarette, the fourth guest said, "Himura. That's all ya need to know."

"General Daiki Hamasaki, at your service," General Hamasaki said, saluting. He was easily the oldest out of all of the guests. He must have been eighty at least.

"Hiroshi Moto," the final guest smirked. He downed a glass of whiskey. His smug character was matched only by his striking good looks. Moto may as well have been a god of beauty.

Conan eyed each of the guests as they talked and ate merrily (with the exception of Tojo and Wakahisa, that is; they sat silently and ate with bitter expressions). The little detective nibbled at this food and thought, _These people don't have any connection to each other… other than a few friends of friends maybe… why are we all here? And why is this all so damn familiar?!_ A small bell sounded and Mr. Ibuka entered the dining room.

"I do hope dinner was to your liking," he said, bowing.

"Fine, fine! Bring me another glass of whiskey!" Moto shouted, "And make it snappy, man!"

"There will be drinks provided in the lounge, sir," Mr. Ibuka sighed, "Your host has asked me to bring you all there after dinner. Please follow me." The nine guests stood and followed the butler through the halls to the lounge. Moto immediately went to the bar, followed closely by Kogorou and Himura. The remaining guests chatted amongst themselves, remarking on the worsening weather, gossiping about the goings-on round Tokyo, and so on.

Only Conan saw Mrs. Ibuka put on a record called 'Swan Song'. _Why do I know that name?!... wait!_ He dashed towards the record player, but a booming voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

" _Ladies and gentlemen! Silence please!"_

The guests stopped talking, their eyes darting round the room, trying to see who was speaking. _No! I know why it's so familiar now!_ Conan thought, his heart sinking.

" _You are charged with the following indictments:_

" _Yamato Tsukuda, that you did on the 25_ _th_ _day of March, 1980, cause the death of Mao Watanabe._

" _Masami Tojo, that upon the 9_ _th_ _of October, 1986, you were responsible for the death of Momoka Fujimoto._

" _Yoshirou Himura, that upon a date in December, 1983, you were guilty of the deaths of twenty-one men, members of the United States Army._

" _Daiki Hamasaki, that on the 2_ _nd_ _of June, 1943 you deliberately sent your wife's lover, Jiro Sugase, to his death._

" _Hiroshi Moto, that upon the 25_ _th_ _day of November last, you were guilty of the murder of Akira and Mitsuko Yamaguchi._

" _Kazuki Ibuka and Satomi Ibuka, that on the 6_ _th_ _of May, 1984, you brought about the death of Steven Gladwin Sampson._

" _Taro Wakahisa, that upon the 10_ _th_ _day of June, 1985, you were guilty of the murder of Katashi Hashimoto._

" _Kogorou Mouri, that you brought about the death of Yumi Hoshikori on July 5_ _th_ _, 1994._

" _Ran Mouri, that on the 4_ _th_ _day of May, 1995, you killed Shinichi Kudo._

" _Prisoners at the bar, have you anything to say in your defense?"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Woohoo! Another chapter! Only eight more left! :'D**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

A stunned silence filled the lounge. The guests stared at each other in shock, unsure of what to say.

 _THUD._

Mrs. Ibuka had collapsed in the hall. Dr. Tsukuda rushed to her aid and called, "Moto! Help me get her onto the couch." Moto stayed rooted to the spot, so Kogorou stepped out and helped the doctor lift the maid onto the couch. Dr. Tsukuda checked her pulse and sighed with relief. "She's all right. Only fainted."

"Wh-what the hell was that all about?" Ran finally stammered. Conan looked up at her, worry clearly in his eyes. She trembled and said softly, "I-I didn't… he's not…" She fell to her knees and screamed, "I DIDN'T KILL SHINICHI!" Kogorou rushed to Ran's side, comforting the terrified girl.

"I don't know what this bastard is playing at, but _nobody_ upsets my daughter and gets away with it!" Kogorou growled.

 _They think I'm dead? Well I guess that would make sense… there hasn't been any news about me for ages. But I'm not dead and Ran certainly didn't kill me. How dare they accuse her of something so horrible!_ Conan thought furiously. About that time, Mrs. Ibuka had come to, so Conan walked up to her and asked, "Who told you to put that record on?" He was having difficulty keeping a steady voice.

"Th-the master l-left it with our instructions," Mrs. Ibuka stuttered, "H-he said to specifically play it at this hour in the lounge." The guests had finally regained some sense and were muttering curiously amongst themselves.

"Was that record telling the truth?"

"How could our host possibly have known that…?"

Kogorou stood and said firmly, "All right, everyone, let's not panic. Someone is obviously playing some kind of cruel joke on us. Nobody's killed anyone." Everyone looked around doubtfully.

"I…I did." Ten pairs of eyes focused on Dr. Tsukuda. He wiped his brow and continued softly, "That girl… Mao Watanabe… she was on the operating table late at night. I-I'd been drinking and I didn't think I'd have to preform surgery… oh, God, it still haunts me!" He buried his face in his hands for a moment. The doctor looked back up at the other guests and said, "B-but I served my time! I went to prison, I-I was bailed out, and I had my license revoked!"

"My conviction of the death of Katashi Hashimoto is no lie, either," Judge Wakahisa said, "He'd been accused of committing a murder himself, but with his charisma and an excellent lawyer, he had managed to convince the jury that he was innocent. I saw through his petty lies and gave him the ultimate punishment. He was put to the chair the next day."

Mrs. Ibuka sat up and Mr. Ibuka sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. He said, "Mr. Sampson was a very old, sick, and rich man. He was to leave us his fortune after passing, but the court 'lost' that page of his will and what's worse, they accused us of his death! We loved and cared for that man more than anyone could! We did not kill him."

"Jiro Sugase was indeed my wife's lover, but I did not send him to his death," the General said promptly, leaving no room for debate. He hobbled over to the window and stared out at the storm raging outside.

"And what about you, Tojo?" Kogorou asked, eyeing the old woman suspiciously when she said:

"I refuse to answer."

"Fine. And you Himura?" Kogorou faced Himura. The brunette snorted.

"So what if I did? They were idiots, marching to their deaths like cows to the slaughterhouse. I was merely the shepherd." He smirked to himself.

"How can you say that?!" Ran suddenly burst out, standing abruptly and glaring at Himura through her tears. "They were human beings, not livestock!"

"Girlie, when you've been in as many battles as I have, human lives don't mean crap. And you should know, girl; you've killed too."

"I would never hurt Shinichi," Ran stressed every word, holding her glare. Himura snorted again.

"Then what about you, Kogorou Mouri? I've definitely heard of you… the Sleeping Detective? Sleeping Kogorou? Didja kill that woman… Horikoshi or whatever her name was?" Himura asked.

Kogorou grabbed Himura's shirt collar and slammed him against the bar. Glasses and bottles rattled violently. "Two things, bud," Kogorou hissed, "Never upset my daughter and never, _ever_ mention Horikoshi again." Dr. Tsukuda and Moto separated the two men before things got any worse.

"Calm down, old man, ya might spill the drinks!" Moto snapped at Kogorou, quickly pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

Conan, who had been mulling over everyone's stories, asked, "What about you, Moto? The recording said you killed two people last year."

"Yeah. I was driving in a small town when two moronic kids thought it'd be fun to jump in front of my car. But who gives a damn! If they'd been smarter, they wouldn't have gotten mowed down. Natural selection, y'know?"

"And no one reported this?"

"Nah, some old geezer did, but with a little help from my bank account, I got off scot free!" He raised his glass and laughed, "Here's to the power of money! Let it live forever!" He downed the glass.

Conan nodded slowly and left Moto to his snobbery. He walked up to Ran and asked softly, "Are you all right?"

"Hmm? Oh, Conan… well, no, I don't think so," she replied hoarsely, kneeling next to the little detective. "I was just accused of murdering the boy I… well, you know. I can't help but wonder… May 4th, 1995… that was during those bombings at the mall*. I was trapped with a bomb, but Shinichi helped me diffuse it. Was he… was he hurt badly trying to get to me?" Tears reappeared in her eyes.

 _No, Ran, I'm fine! I'm fine! Dammit, I wish I could tell you that Conan and I are one and the same!_ Conan balled his fists.

Suddenly, Moto made a choking, gargled noise. There was a great smash of glass and everyone gasped as Hiroshi Moto collapsed on the ground, dead.

* * *

 ***see 'The Time-Bombed Skyscraper'!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Truckin' along!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

As if the foreboding record weren't enough, now Moto lay dead on the ground, his face tinted blue and his eyes glazed over. The ten others in the lounge stared at the body in shock. Dr. Tsukuda knelt next to Moto, studying him. "He died of asphyxiation," the doctor said. He shook his head solemnly and continued, "But it's very curious… there was no ice in his whiskey… his death was not natural."

"That's because he was murdered," Conan said seriously. Everyone looked at him strangely so he quickly said, "I mean, he could have been murdered! Eh heh heh…" _There's no doubt in my mind that he was killed. But by who? Anyone could have done it…_

Kogorou picked up a part of Moto's shattered glass, carefully tasting it. "Pleh. Cyanide, by the taste of it. Someone must have put it in his drink when we weren't looking," he deduced.

Conan narrowed his eyes. _Damn. My theory was right. Someone is trying to reenact 'And Then There Were None' with deadly accuracy. But who? One of the guests? In the book the killer was never found… but I can't rule out anyone yet. Let me think… Moto didn't have his glass in his hand when Mrs. Ibuka fainted, and we were all distracted when we heard her. Assuming Ran and Kogorou are still as sane as ever, the killer could have been any of the other guests… or could there be someone else in the house?_

While Conan was deep in his thoughts, Dr. Tsukuda and Kogorou had moved Moto's body to his bedroom. They had covered his body with a sheet.

When they returned, Kogorou sharply asked, "Which one of you did it?" The guests were taken aback.

"None of us killed that arrogant boy," Wakahisa snapped, "Why would we do that? There is no motive."

"He may have been a pest, but certainly not worth sullying our already sullied reputations," Tojo agreed, turning up her nose at Kogorou.

"Then what about you Mr. Ibuka?!" Kogorou pointed at the pale-faced butler.

"M-me? I would never hurt my guests!"

"Sure, that's what they all say!"

From the window, General Hamasaki stamped his cane on the ground loudly. The commotion stopped at once. The old general glared at Kogorou. "Look here, boy! You're a detective, aren't you? Instead of pointing fingers, do some damned investigating!" he boomed. His voice was quite powerful for an old man. "Get to work!" Kogorou nodded sheepishly, then crossed his arms and started to think. Conan couldn't help but think as well.

 _There was something else I read in the copy of the book I had… what was it? There was the story, obviously, then the epilogue…_ He gasped. _The letter from the judge to Scotland Yard detailing the murders he committed! Could it be him?_ Conan eyed the judge curiously. Wakahisa caught Conan's stare and shot an icy glare back. He despised children. _I can't be certain of that… not without proof._ Conan trotted up to Kogorou and tugged on his pant leg. "Uncle… I think this murder is based off a book."

Kogorou knelt down and hissed, "Don't be stupid."

"No, really! The record with the ominous voice? Hiroshi Moto's death by potassium cyanide in his whiskey? It's all just like 'And Then There Were None'!"

"And what's that?"

 _Hasn't this man read a book?!_ "It's a novel by English writer Agatha Christie. Give it a look sometime when you aren't drunk in front of the television," Conan muttered.

"Hmph. Why did I agree to bring _you_?" Kogorou asked himself. He stood up and said to the guests, "There isn't any clear evidence at this point in time as to who killed Hiroshi Moto. It's very late. I suggest we all get some sleep and resume the investigation tomorrow morning. Be sure to lock your doors. Don't let anyone into your room." Everyone murmured in agreement, starting to file out of the lounge.

"Ooh, how dreadful!" Mrs. Ibuka shuddered. Her husband and the doctor supported her as they walked. "I won't be able to sleep knowing there's a murderer in the house!"

"Please try to relax. None of us here killed that poor boy. I'll give you something to help you sleep," Dr. Tsukuda said. The trio soon vanished in the dark hallways.

"What a rotten stroke of luck…" Wakahisa muttered as he hobbled off to his room. Tojo and General Hamasaki left without so much as a whisper. That left Himura, Kogorou, Ran, and Conan standing about in the lounge.

"I guess I'll bid you all goodnight. Don't let the psychopathic killers bite," Himura chuckled, lighting another cigarette and exiting the lounge.

Kogorou grumbled, "What a jackass." He turned to Ran and said comfortingly, "Try to get some sleep. I'm in the room just next to yours; so if you need anything, call me. I'll come running." Ran nodded slowly and Kogorou walked off to his room, mumbling to himself. Ran and Conan went to their bedroom and Ran sat on the comfy mattress, sighing heavily.

"Why do these things always happen?" she asked herself softly, "Nothing good has happened since Shinichi left… except maybe meeting you, Conan." She smiled slightly. "You remind me of him sometimes."

 _Oh, Ran, if only I could tell you the truth!_ Conan hopped up on the bed and sat next to Ran. "I know this is all very shocking and confusing, but I can assure you that Shinichi is okay!" Conan said. He grinned when Ran's expression lightened.

"Really? How do you know?"

"He called me soon after the mall bombings. He told me to tell you that he was alive and well and that he'd call you soon!"

Ran breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God… I knew I couldn't have killed him… he's too stubborn to die, anyway." She chuckled to herself and said, "Thanks, Conan. You always seem to know how to cheer me up~" She ruffled his hair and stood up, starting to get ready for bed.

Conan hopped off the bed and checked his cellphone. No signal. He picked up the telephone in the room. Dead. _I can see how there'd be no signal, but no landline either? It's not a blackout… all the lights are on, and even if there were a blackout, a place this big would have a back-up generator. No, I think the landline's been cut long before we arrived,_ he thought. He narrowed his eyes. _Someone doesn't want us to call the police. But who? One of the guests? I should go investigate…_

Conan began to walk towards the door, but Ran asked, "Conan? Where are you going?" She'd spotted him!

"Er… out and about! I wanted to stretch my legs!" he lied.

"You shouldn't go out now, Conan," Ran said sternly, "Not with a killer on the loose."

"I… I guess I can't argue with that." Conan gave up and got ready for bed. After Ran locked the door, she and Conan climbed into bed. Conan thought, _I guess the investigation can wait till tomorrow… but I'll have to be quick. I don't want anyone else to die._


	4. Chapter 4

**Two chapters in one night! Gosh I'm spoiling y'all~ ;) Just kidding. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

The next morning, a sleepy Conan and Ran were greeted with a terrified shout. That got the two wide awake and Conan bolted out of the door with Ran not far behind him. The shout came from Mr.s Ibuka's room and when Conan reached the room, he saw Mr. Ibuka holding his wife's hand, sobbing and mumbling incoherently. The doctor was there as well since his room was closest to the maid's.

Dr. Tsukuda took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "She's dead, Mr. Ibuka. I'm so, so sorry…" he murmured.

"How?! How, doctor?" the distraught butler cried. By this time, Kogorou and Himura had reached the scene.

"By my analysis, she passed away sometime last night. Did she ever take any medication to help her sleep? Or perhaps some other kind of medication?" Dr. Tsukuda asked.

"No, nothing." Mr. Ibuka sniffed and tried to regain his composure. "The only thing she took last night was what you gave her." Kogorou, Himura, Ran, and Conan stared at the doctor.

He caught their looks and said quickly, "I didn't kill her! What I gave to her was a very basic sleeping drug called Trional. I gave her a safe dose and she was out like a light. By my guess, something else killed her."

"Can't you do an autopsy?" Himura asked suddenly, "Find out what killed her?"

Dr. Tsukuda shook his head. "I'm afraid not. There isn't a sterile environment in this mansion, and I don't have any of the proper equipment." He helped Mr. Ibuka to his feet. "Please come along, sir. There isn't anything more we can do here."

* * *

Conan and the others met up with Wakahisa, Tojo, and General Hamasaki in the dining room. "There you are. Ibuka! Where is our breakfast? Shouldn't the maid have had something prepared?" Wakahisa snapped. Mr. Ibuka bowed and shuffled into the kitchen. "What's wrong with him?"

"His wife is dead, Wakahisa," the doctor growled, "Show more compassion for the poor man!" The old judge snorted and said nothing more. Everyone took their seats silently, but Conan hung around near the door.

"Conan! Come sit down!" Ran said.

"But… but I have to use the bathroom!" Conan called. _God, I hate lying about the simplest things…_

Ran sighed and said, "All right, but be quick!" Conan nodded and darted off. Not to the bathroom, obviously. He sprinted straight to the judge's room. The little detective found Wakahisa's briefcase and started to dig through it.

 _Are there any plans… letters… anything that might suggest the judge is behind these murders like in the book?_ Conan thought. He checked every inch of the room, checking every nook and cranny and anything that looked suspicious. He turned up with nothing.

Conan heard footsteps coming towards him, so he slid under the bed. The footsteps stopped, but the floorboards creaked as if someone was still there. Conan very carefully peaked out from under the bed. A figure with striped pants stood in the bedroom, but before Conan could see their face, they promptly exited the room.

The small detective was relieved and crawled out into the open. _Who the hell was that?_ he thought, making his way back to the dining room. The guests stared at him as he came back in. A small breakfast had been served.

"Where have you been?" Himura asked.

"You were in the bathroom for a long time…" Ran said, raising an eyebrow.

Kogorou snorted, "Didja fall in?"

"I… er… got lost," Conan lied, "It's a very big place." He took his seat next to Ran and ask her quietly, "Has anyone left the dining room?"

"Nobody but you, Conan. Why?"

"Just wondering!" Conan ate the eggs and re-heated bacon on his plate and thought, _There's someone else in the house! But where? And who?!_

* * *

After breakfast, Kogorou said, "I'm going to search the house. Anyone who wishes to join me can do so. Not you, brat," he added nastily when Conan opened his mouth to say something. Himura and Dr. Tsukuda joined Kogorou and they set off.

"I'll be in my room. Do not disturb me," Wakahisa grumbled. He hobbled back to his room, groaning and grunting to himself. Tojo decided to stay in the lounge and knit as if there weren't a crazy killer in the house. Ran elected to stay with her. Mr. Ibuka said he had chores to attend to, so he did just that.

"I'm… I'm going for a walk," General Hamasaki grumbled, his hands shaking.

 _He's been acting strange since breakfast,_ Conan thought as the general walked off, muttering. _I'll have to check on him later._

He started towards the door, but of course, Ran said, "Conan, please stay here."

"But I need to move! I've got so much energy!" Conan exclaimed, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Let the boy go run," Tojo said before Ran could say anything, "You know how little boys are; they can't sit still for a minute."

"Well… I suppose," Ran said reluctantly, "But be sure to be back here by noon!"

"Okay!" Conan dashed off down the halls and down the stairs. He went out the back doors that lead into a huge garden. He could see every window to everyone's room. Conan kept note of that and ran to the electrical room on the side of the house. No one was around, so he snuck in, pushing the door open. _Not locked…_ he noticed. He opened the panel that read 'LANDLINE' in big red letters on it. He was dismayed to learn that his theory was true; the wires had been cut.

 _So, we can't call the police… and we're very far out of the way…_ Conan thought as he reentered the mansion. He walked out the front door and through the ajar iron gate. _We could send someone back to the next town for help, but that's an awfully long way away…_

He walked along the road until he saw General Hamasaki standing at the foot of the bridge. "General? Are you all right?" Conan asked. He looked out across the bridge and gasped. The sturdy stone bridge was nothing more than a few pebbles stuck in a river of mud.

"Isn't that coincidental?" the general asked, "We're all dropping like flies and now we can't even leave. We're all going to die here and we deserve it."

"How can you say that?" Conan asked. He shook his head and said with a weak smile, "We can still get out of here! We'll all be okay!"

"I'll be seeing my wife and good friend very soon… Jiro was a good soldier," General Hamasaki muttered. He seemed to be in some kind trance. "I was damn fond of him. Damn fond… I knew he had the hots for my wife, but I didn't think of it until I saw him and her out on some kind of date. We were in the middle of a war, and he decided to make things worse." The general's hands trembled violently. "The next day, I sent him out on a mission that I knew he would surely die on. My wife couldn't live with the guilt and without Jiro, so she killed herself the next day. I knew what the repercussions would be, but I did it anyway."

Conan stared at the old man solemnly. "Sir, why don't you come back to the mansion? It looks as if it'll rain again," he urged. He tugged lightly at the general's pant leg, but he didn't budge. Conan sighed and walked back to the mansion, looking back once more at General Hamasaki. As he went back inside, Kogorou, Himura, and Dr. Tsukuda had come back to the foyer.

"We looked everywhere, and we still haven't found anyone else here but ourselves!" the doctor said, scratching his head.

"So then the killer has to be one of us," Himura grunted, "Everyone is a suspect."

"Now hold on a second," Kogorou protested, "I know for a fact that my own daughter wouldn't kill anyone, and Conan is too small and stupid to commit a murder!"

 _Small? Yes. Stupid? In your dreams, old man,_ Conan thought bitterly.

"I can't leave out anyone," said Himura, "And neither should you."

It looked as if Himura and Kogorou were going to go at each other's throats again, so Conan piped up, "What if the killer isn't any one of us?" The older men looked down at him. "I saw someone earlier when I went to the bathroom, and it wasn't any of the guests."

"How can you be sure?" Himura asked curiously.

"Nobody left the table during breakfast other than me, right?" Kogorou, Himura, and Dr. Tsukuda nodded. "Then I saw someone else during my trip to the bathroom."

"What about Mr. Ibuka?" Kogorou asked, "And why am I even listening to you?"

"Mr. Ibuka was wearing black pants and the person that I saw was wearing light blue, striped pants." _And you're listening to me because you're too stupid to figure this out yourself!_ Conan added mentally. "Plus, wasn't he downstairs serving you all food?"

"Yes, and after he did, he went back to the kitchen," Dr. Tsukuda said, "I saw him go back then and he didn't leave until we were all done. And besides, we searched the kitchen; there isn't any other way out of the kitchen, and the only other door in there leads to the wine cellar. There are windows, but they're too small for a grown man to crawl out of."

Kogorou growled, "How are we supposed to believe this brat? You know how active kid's brains are!"

"It sounds more plausible than any of us killing Moto and Mrs. Ibuka; we don't have any connection to each other. No reason for murder." Himura said. He grinned slightly. "I believe the kid."

"Wh-what happened to 'everyone's a suspect'?" Kogorou asked in disbelief.

"There's new evidence," Himura replied simply, pulling out a cigarette.

"I believe Conan as well," the doctor said, smiling and patting Conan's head. "Thank you for your help, Conan! Hopefully we'll be able to find this maniac before he gets to anyone else."

Kogorou grumbled several insults directed at Conan, and eventually asked to no one in particular, "Has anyone seen the general? I don't think I've seen him since we split up."

"I talked to him right before I came back. He was by the collapsed bridge," Conan said.

"What?! The bridge collapsed?!" Himura gasped. His cigarette fell out of his hand.

"How are we going to leave?" Dr. Tsukuda moaned.

"Calm down, you two!" Kogorou snapped. The settled down and stared at the detective. "We'll find a way out of here after we find the killer. So keep your heads till then! Let's go find General Hamasaki and bring him back here." Himura and Dr. Tsukuda nodded and followed Kogorou outside. Conan jogged along after them. They arrived at the end of the road and the beginning of the broken bridge where they all gasped collectively. General Daiki Hamasaki lay on the ground with a large gash in the back of his skull. He was dead.


	5. Chapter 5

**THINGS ARE GETTING INTENSE. Well idk but maybe. XD Enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Kogorou and Himura carried the general's body back to the mansion and laid him on his bed, covering his body with a sheet. They had called everyone to the dining room to deliver the bad news. Tojo entered with Ran, and the latter immediately moved away from Tojo to stand with Conan and Kogorou. Wakahisa and Mr. Ibuka were the last two to enter.

"What's all this about?" Wakahisa grumbled sourly.

"General Hamasaki is dead," Dr. Tsukuda said somberly. There was a collective gasp amongst the guests.

"Two deaths in one day…" Tojo murmured.

"How did he die, doctor?" Ran asked, obviously shaken.

"Judging from the wound, he died from a heavy object hitting the back of his head. Given that he was an elderly man, any amount of force could have killed him."

"Who did it, eh, detective?" Wakahisa asked accusingly, glaring at Kogorou. "Haven't you found the killer?"

"Well… no. But we've ruled out any one of us," Kogorou replied.

Tojo sniffed disapprovingly:

"How can you be so sure?"

"None of us have any motive for killing each other, and… well, why don't you tell them yourself, shrimp?" Kogorou begrudgingly gestured at Conan to speak.

"During breakfast when I went to the bathroom, I saw somebody wearing light blue, striped pants. It wasn't any one of us since I've heard from four people now that no one left the table except for Mr. Ibuka and me, and I heard from Kogorou, Himura, and Dr. Tsukuda that Mr. Ibuka went straight back to the kitchen," Conan explained.

"B-but there's nobody else here," Mr. Ibuka said nervously. He fidgeted, eyeing the walls as if someone were to jump out of them.

"The manservant brings up a valid point. There isn't anyone else here besides us. How do we know this little brat isn't making all this up?" Wakahisa asked, glaring at Conan.

But Conan glared right back and stated firmly, "I know what I saw." Conan's eyes drifted from the crotchety old judge to the dining table. He gasped slightly. He ran up to the table and climbed up on a chair.

"What is it, Conan?" Ran asked. Conan pointed to the china soldiers in the middle of the long dining table. "The soldiers? What about them?"

"There were ten last night. Now there's only seven. Someone's been taking away the figures," Conan said. Everyone stayed silent, exchanging glances.

"Someone… like the killer?" Dr. Tsukuda asked slowly.

"I can only assume so."

"Just to be absolutely sure," Kogorou said, turning to the judge, Tojo, Ran, and Mr. Ibuka. "Where were you all when we were out searching the mansion?"

"I was with Ms. Mouri having a conversation," Tojo said easily. Kogorou looked to his daughter for confirmation, and she nodded.

"I was in the garden tending to the plants," Mr. Ibuka mumbled, "I don't think anyone saw me."

"I was in my room until you people called me down here," Wakahisa snapped. He shot a glare at Conan and asked icily, "What about you boy? Where were you?"

"If you're seriously suspecting Conan of murdering General Hamasaki…" Ran started angrily, but the judge continued as if he didn't hear anything:

"Well, boy?"

"I had gone to the shed out back to check the landline, which is completely severed, then I went to check on the general. I asked him to come back to the mansion, but he didn't move so I came back alone," Conan explained, holding the judge's gaze.

"And no one saw you?"

Conan looked at the ground and muttered, "No."

Wakahisa turned to the doctor and asked, "The amount of force needed to kill the general could've been dealt by anyone, correct?"

"I-I suppose so, but really, sir? You would accuse a boy of murder?" Dr. Tsukuda questioned uncomfortably.

"How dare you!" Ran snapped, stepping in between Conan and Wakahisa. "How dare you think Conan would do something so cruel! You're a horrible, wretched old man!"

"Perhaps so, young lady, but unlike your miserable detective father and idiotic cohorts, I do not take chances nor do I believe any of this ridiculous garbage." Wakahisa turned to walk back upstairs, but before he did, he growled, "Do not call for me unless there is food on the table. I will not starve to death in this loathsome place." With that, he hobbled up the stairs and vanished down the hall.

"Old coot," Himura snorted. He lit himself a cigarette, exhaling a white plume of smoke. "Well now what?"

"What do you mean?" the doctor asked. The remaining guests looked at Himura.

"We've got three dead bodies in this house, a killer still on the loose, no signal, no landline, and now we can't drive our asses outta here. What are we gonna do now?"

"W-we have to get out of here, obviously!" Dr. Tsukuda stammered.

"And where do you suggest we go?" Tojo asked sharply, "We are in the middle of nowhere! The nearest town is miles away!"

"Then we'll walk through the woods till we find a town. Go north," Kogorou said.

"I don't know about you, but I do not fancy a stroll in the wilderness," Tojo sniffed.

Himura piped up, "Only one of us has to go. The rest can wait here!"

"And get killed? I think not!"

While the adults argued amongst themselves, Mr. Ibuka approached Conan and asked softly, "The landline wires are completely severed? Are you certain you saw the right wires?"

"I'm positive, sir. Didn't your employer tell you the wires were damaged?" Conan asked.

"They told me everything was in working order. I guess I didn't question his letter," the butler admitted. Conan found this curious.

"They didn't tell you in person?"

"No. Satomi and I were brought to this mansion shortly after we received a letter from someone with the initials U.N.O., and we needed the work so we accepted without question. When we got here, there was no master, only a letter detailing what we were to do to prepare for your arrival," Mr. Ibuka explained, "We were to be paid handsomely, so we did what we were told."

 _No master, mysterious deaths… following the plot of a book by an English author! Whoever the killer is, they're an absolute nutcase!_ Conan thought, _It's none of these people, so who is it? I have to catch them in the act, but how will I know who's next?_

He snapped his fingers. "Mr. Ibuka, is there a library in this mansion?" Conan asked excitedly.

"Yes, a small one. Why the sudden interest?" Mr. Ibuka asked.

"Because with the right book, I can find out who will be targeted next!" Conan said, "Please take me there!" Mr. Ibuka nodded and lead Conan to the library. The others had stopped their argument and followed out of curiosity.

"What do you mean you can find out who'll be targeted, Conan?" Ran asked as they walked.

"Someone is basing these murders on Agatha Christie's novel 'And Then There Were None'. If we can find a copy of the book, we can find out who will be next on the killer's list and stop them from succeeding! We could end this tonight!" Conan explained, grinning.

Ran eyed the small detective curiously. "How did you figure this out?"

"Er… wasn't it obvious?" _Ah, crap! Shinichi, chill out with the deductions! Can't let Ran find out…_

They reached the library and Conan ordered, "Everyone spread out and find 'And Then There Were None'! Practically every library has a few copies, so we're bound to find one!" Everyone did as they were told (albeit Kogorou and Tojo searched resentfully since they were taking orders from a child), permeating throughout the collection of books.

Ran continued to look at Conan suspiciously. This seemed a lot like Shinichi's behavior to her, but she continued searching for the novel.

The searched the library from top to bottom, but they couldn't seem to find the book. Kogorou was even able to locate the complete collection of Agatha Christie's work, yet 'And Then There Were None' was curiously missing. They considered giving up, when Dr. Tsukuda said softly:

"I found the book."

The guests and butler rushed to the doctor and were sufficiently shocked to see the pages of the open book covered with black scribbles. Practically none of the words were legible. Several pages were torn out. Conan could see scraps of burnt paper in the fireplace. 'And Then There Were None' was nothing but ashes and shreds of paper.

"How will we find out who the next victim is now?!" Mr. Ibuka wailed.

Himura ran a hand through his hair and said grimly, "I guess we'll know when there's another dead body in the mansion."

"I-isn't there another copy?" Tojo asked. For the first time during her stay (and probably her life), she sounded thoroughly worried.

"Surely you know, Conan," Dr. Tsukuda said, turning to the small detective. "You've been very clever so far… you must have some idea!" Six pairs of eyes focused on Conan.

"I… I don't remember," Conan admitted, staring at the ground. He clenched his fists, looked back up at the guests, and said determinedly, "I will figure this out. There will be no more deaths." He sounded very much like Shinichi.

* * *

 **Whoooooa we're halfway theeeeere...  
** **WHOOOOOOOOA LIVIN' ON A PRAYEEEER!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ohhhhhh sNAP.**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

That night, dinner passed silently and soon, everyone had gone to sleep. They wanted to forget the events of the day. They departed to their rooms without so much as a whisper.

When they gathered for breakfast the next day, Conan immediately noticed the number of china figures on the table had decreased to six. "Kogorou!" he exclaimed. The half-awake detective saw Conan pointing to the six soldiers and snapped awake.

"S-six! Someone else was killed!" Kogorou muttered, looking at each of the guests. Everyone seemed to be accounted for, but he asked, "Where's Mr. Ibuka?" The guests (minus Wakahisa, of course) looked around with confusion and fear like lost children.

"Everybody start searching! He has to be around here!" Conan said. Everybody complied, except for the judge, naturally, and began the search for the butler.

Conan ran outside to the garden. The first thing he saw was a bloodied hatchet embedded in the chopping log; the next thing was Mr. Ibuka's head. It lay in a pool of blood not far from his body. Clutched in his hands were thick wires and electrical tape.

"Damn…" Conan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. _He must have gone out to try and fix the landline… dammit. When I find whoever is behind this… I swear…_ Kogorou and Himura spotted an enraged Conan standing alone in the garden. They approached and gasped together.

"My god…" Kogorou murmured. Himura gently pulled Conan away from the horrendous scene.

"You okay, kid?" the brunette asked, "This kinda stuff is hard to see… 'specially for a kid…"

"I'm fine, Himura," Conan replied icily. Himura was taken aback; he didn't think children could show so much rage. "Please give this poor man a proper burial." Himura blinked, but nodded slowly nonetheless.

"Mouri! Help me find a shovel!" Himura called, standing up and walking over to Kogorou. He cast a worried glance back at Conan before the two went off to find a shovel. Conan stormed back inside just as the rest of the guests came outside. He even ignored Ran ask she asked:

"Are you okay, Conan?"

Conan went straight to the library and picked up the ruined copy of 'And Then There Were None'. He opened the book, flipping through the pages and staring at the scribbles. He could barely read the words. His hands started to tremble. _This bastard… the only thing that could help me stop these people from dying is destroyed!_ "DAMMIT!" he shouted furiously, throwing the book against the wall. The noise echoed throughout the library. "I said I would stop these murders! I promised they'd be safe!" Conan pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. _Calm down, Shinichi. You've got to keep your head or you can't help anyone still alive._

He glared at the book, but then gave it a curious look. His eyes travelled to the wall he'd thrown the novel at and blinked. _That wall… it made a strange noise when the book hit it… I wonder…_ Conan rapped his fingers against the wall. Again, the noise reverberated throughout the entire room. He gasped. "The killer is using the walls!" he exclaimed. The little detective dashed back to the dining room. Everyone had reconvened after Kogorou and Himura buried Mr. Ibuka.

"There you are, Conan!" Ran said with relief, "Are you okay? Dad told me you were the one who found Mr. Ibuka."

"I'm all right!" Conan said quickly, "I think I know how the killer has managed to elude us all this time!" He ran to the nearest wall, knocking on it. He continued to knock as he moved along the wall until finally he found the hollow spot. The guests gasped.

"The walls?" Dr. Tsukuda asked, looking at the walls nervously. "S-so, they could be anywhere inside the house?"

"Potentially," Conan replied, but the judge snorted.

"So there are hollow walls," Wakahisa grumbled, "Lots of houses have those!"

"You just can't seem to believe anything, can you?" Himura asked, glaring at the judge.

Tojo spoke up:

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Wakahisa on this. Disposing of us through the walls? How? How can one possibly do that?"

"It's not impossible," Conan said, "I read in a book once that lots of mansions have secret rooms and halls built in them for security." He crossed his arms and furrowed his brows. "I would guess that there are secret passages leading to each of our rooms." This unnerved everyone, even the crotchety judge.

"Th-then why hasn't the killer just, you know… killed us already?" Ran asked, shaking slightly.

"As I've said before, the killer is going off of 'And Then There Were None'. They're committing the murders according to how they were done in the book," Conan explained, "And those murders were based off a poem."

"Well, how did the poem go?" Kogorou asked, "Maybe it can help us determine who'll be targeted next!"

Conan shook his head. "I don't remember exactly how it went…" The guests stayed silent, deep in thought. Finally, Ran said:

"It might be in my room."

"What d'you mean?" asked Kogorou, turning to his daughter expectantly.

"There's something framed above my bed. I looked at it quickly, but it sort of looked like a poem…"

"Then let's go!" Himura said impatiently, charging towards the stairs. Of course, Wakahisa stayed behind while everyone went to Ran and Conan's room.

There, she pointed to the framed writing. "Is… is that it, Conan?" she asked.

Conan leapt onto the bed to see better, and he started to read:

"'Ten little soldier boys went out to dine;  
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;  
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;  
One said he'd stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks;  
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;  
A bumblebee stung one and then there were Five.

Five little soldier boys going in for law;  
One got in Chancery and then there were Four.

Four little soldier boys going out to sea;  
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.

Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo;  
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun;  
One got frizzled up and then there was One.

One little soldier boy left all alone;  
He went and hanged himself

And then there were None'."


	7. Chapter 7

***AGGRESSIVELY CARES SO MUCH ABOUT CONAN*** **ᕙ། ಠ 益 ಠೃ །ᕗ**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

An eerie silence filled the room after Conan finished reading the poem. No one was sure what to say. The ways they were to be killed was right there in front of them, but who was to be killed next?

"S-surely that sparked _something_ , eh, Conan?" Dr. Tsukuda asked softly. He was as white as a sheet. "You m-must know something, right?"

Conan's eyes were locked on the poem. Ran asked him, "Conan?" He'd blocked out any distractions.

 _The first murder was Hiroshi Moto. He choked to death after drinking whiskey laced with potassium cyanide. 'One choked his little self and then there were Nine.'_ "Anthony Marston!" Conan suddenly burst out, startling the other guests.

"W-what? Who the hell is that?" Kogorou asked, disgruntled.

"He was the first to be murdered in the book, and Hiroshi Moto died the exact same way!" Conan explained, "I think I'm remembering the other names…" Everyone leaned in expectantly.

When Conan didn't say anything immediately, Himura snapped, "Well?! Who came next?!"

"Give him time to think!" Ran said, placing herself between Himura and Conan. Himura backed off, grumbling.

"The next death was Mrs. Ibuka… who died in her sleep… Mrs. Rogers in the book!" Conan exclaimed. Kogorou furiously wrote down the little detective's words in his personal notebook. "Then General Hamasaki… 'travelled in Devon'… 'stayed there'… he decided to stay at the bridge. General Macarthur stayed at the coast where he was murdered! Mr. Ibuka was decapitated… 'chopped himself in halves'. Mr. Rogers died of an axe wound to the head!"

"So, who came next?" Tojo asked impatiently. Conan stared at her momentarily and remembered the next victim:

"It's you, Miss Tojo. Death by lethal injection. A bee sting." Everyone gaped at the older woman. She herself was quite in shock.

Tojo shook her head in disbelief. "Y-you must be mistaken, surely."

"I wish I was, but I remember the order of deaths now." Conan pointed at Tojo. "First, you, Miss Tojo. Then, Judge Wakahisa. Death by blood loss caused by a fatal bullet wound. Next…" He pointed at the doctor, "You, Dr. Tsukuda. Death by drowning." He hesitated when he pointed at Kogorou. "Kogorou. Death by skull fracture caused by a marble block. Then, Himura. Death by blood loss caused by a fatal bullet wound, same as the judge. Finally…" Conan gulped and pointed at Ran. "Suicide." Silence once again controlled the room.

Kogorou finally hissed:

"We aren't going to let this continue."

"B-but, how are Wakahisa and Himura to die by a firearm? We searched the mansion top to bottom, and there aren't any guns anywhere," Dr. Tsukuda said nervously. Himura looked at the ground in embarrassment and pulled a small revolver out of his inside coat pocket. Everyone backed away from him as if the gun were to go off at any minute.

"And when were you going to tell us about this!?" Kogorou asked furiously. He advanced towards Himura, grabbing the gun out of his hand. "Normally carry a gun on you, do you?"

"Well, yeah. When you've seen what I've seen and made as many enemies as I have, ya tend to be a little wary," Himura admitted, "I swear on my honour as a man that I will not shoot anyone here."

"I think it'd be best if you locked this away so no one can get there hands on it," Kogorou said. Everyone nodded in agreement, so Kogorou handed the gun back over to Himura. He pocketed it. "Let's go back to the dining room. We need to come up with a plan to find this maniac before he gets to the rest of us." Everyone exited the room except for Conan and Ran. Kogorou shut the door behind him as Conan hopped off the bed, proceeding to knock on the walls to try to find a secret door as he suspected.

"Conan..." Ran said softly. He turned to face her and she asked, "My dad won't… die, will he?"

"Not if I can help it," Conan answered. He smiled reassuringly and said, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you or Kogorou." He went back to knocking on the walls as Ran stared in disbelief at the little detective.

"Shinichi…?" she whispered to herself.

Conan's eyes lit up when he knocked on a particular spot in the wall. He looked up and down, scrutinizing every detail. He noticed a small etching of a bear in the lower left corner of the wall panel. It seemed very out of place. He brushed his fingers along the etching as Ran started to ask:

"Conan, are y—"

"That's got it!" Conan exclaimed. He pushed the bear etching gently, but the etching was actually a button. A nearly inaudible click sounded and the secret door swung open. "I was right!" Conan poked his head inside the hall, looking around. The hall was surprisingly well kept and well lit. There was hardly a speck of dust on the floor. "Come on, Ran! We could find the killer now! End it all!" Conan looked back at Ran, who didn't budge. "Ran?"

"Shh, Conan…" Ran narrowed her eyes and opened the door slowly, listening intently. "I heard something down the hall." Conan carefully shut the secret door and peeked out of the door. No one was in sight.

"Down that way?" Conan asked, pointing down the hall towards the lounge and Tojo's room. Ran nodded, so Conan ventured out down the hall. He walked carefully and silently. Ran followed closely. Each guest room door was closed, but the door to Tojo's room was slightly ajar. Conan and Ran looked in and saw Tojo sitting in a chair facing the window. She didn't move. Conan felt the room chill as he entered slowly, asking:

"Miss Tojo? Are you all right?" Silence. "Ran, get the others," Conan ordered, his eyes narrowing. He turned to face her and said, "Tojo is dead." Ran clenched her jaw, nodded, and sprinted downstairs to inform the guests.

Conan examined Tojo's body: her face was tinted blue, her eyes glazed over, and there was a small, barely noticeable puncture wound on the side of her neck. _'Six little soldier boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were Five',_ Conan thought. As if on cue, a little bee flew through the window. It buzzed around the deceased Tojo. Conan gritted his teeth and thought furiously, _Dammit… how did this happen?!_

Kogorou, Ran, Himura, and Dr. Tsukuda (Wakahisa obviously couldn't care less) entered Tojo's room. Conan whipped around and asked fiercely, "Why did you leave her by herself knowing she'd be targeted next?!"

"There wasn't anything we could _do_ , Conan," Himura argued, "The old bat insisted she needed to go pray to God to save her! She obviously thought that might be more helpful than stickin' with us."

"You should have forced her to stay with you!" Conan shouted.

"We tried, Conan!" Dr. Tsukuda said, trying to calm the little detective down. "We really, truly did! Miss Tojo was in shock after you told her that she would be targeted next, and when we all reached the dining room, she said she absolutely had to go pray alone. She thought God would save her… the poor lady."

"What's done is done, Conan. We failed to protect her, so now we have to focus on protecting the judge, as much as we all don't want to," Kogorou said, "Come on, Himura. Help me move Tojo to the bed." They did just that, so the guests returned to the dining room, meeting up with the judge who simply glared at them coldly. Conan was still furious, so he sat a good distance away from the dwindling group. Kogorou said:

"We know the next victim will be you, Judge Wakahisa." The guests looked at the judge expectantly.

He snorted, "I won't let them get the chance to kill me."

"As likely as that is," Himura said, "We should check your room for a secret door and disable it. In fact, we should do that with every room. That'll slow this bastard down." Everyone murmured in agreement.

"We should explore the secret halls. If we do it carefully and quietly, we might be able to catch the killer," Conan suggested. He hopped off his chair and walked to exit the dining room. "We ought to locate and disable the door in the judge's room first."

Each guest, including the judge for once, rose to their feet and walked upstairs to Wakahisa's room. Kogorou, Himura, and Dr. Tsukuda started knocking on the walls. Ran kneeled on the ground and began to search for some kind of button like the one in her room. Conan decided he'd make absolutely sure that Wakahisa wasn't involved in any way. While the judge wasn't looking, Conan very quietly opened the old man's briefcase. He read through each file quickly, but came up with nothing. As he was setting the brief case down, Wakahisa shot Conan an icy glare.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" he snapped.

"Just… examining things," Conan said, shrugging. Wakahisa rapped Conan's knuckles sharply with his cane. Conan dropped the briefcase.

"'Examining' my briefcase, I should think."

"N-no! Just around the briefcase! The button for the door could be anywhere!" Conan lied. Wakahisa glared at him a final time and turned back to face the others. Conan rubbed his hand.

 _Ow! He's got ears of a fox! Well, no matter. He's definitely not involved with the murders. That's good… one less thing I have to worry about._


	8. Chapter 8

**WHOAHOHOHOOOOO. TWO CHAPTERS LEFT AH SNAP**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

Himura had successfully disabled the secret door leading to Wakahisa's room the old fashioned way; destroying the whole locking mechanism all together. He shut the door and when he tried to reopen it, the door remained shut. "Perfect. That lowers the risk of the judge's murder," he said proudly.

"It's getting late, sir," Dr. Tsukuda said to the judge, "Why don't you get some rest while we explore the mansion?"

"Do not speak to me as if I were some kind of helpless child," Wakahisa snapped. Knowing that they were not wanted in his room any longer, Kogorou, Himura, Dr. Tsukuda, Ran, and Conan exited, leaving the judge to his business.

When they were a good distance away from Wakahisa's room, Kogorou muttered, "What a charmer." He clapped his hands and asked, "Right! Where to start?"

"Well, I know to open the door in our room," Conan said, looking up at Ran, "So she and I can start there." Ran asked:

"Are you suggesting we split up? Won't that be dangerous?"

"We can cover more ground this way," Conan answered, "Plus the killer most likely wouldn't do anything to us since they don't want to ruin the story."

"All right, so Conan and Ran will start in their room, naturally," Himura said, "I'll take the library."

"I'll start in the lounge," Dr. Tsukuda said nervously. He tried to put on an earnest face.

"And I can start in the dining room," Kogorou said, "Be sure to arm yourself with something." He turned to Himura and asked, "Have you got your gun?"

"No," the latter replied, "I locked it in my suitcase like ya suggested."

"Good. We don't want any more deaths tonight." With that, the five separated, hoping to catch the nefarious murderer.

Conan and Ran reached their room and Ran picked up the fire poker from the fireplace. Conan didn't really know what to get, so he grabbed a book from the bedside drawer. Armed, Conan pushed the little bear button on the wall.

 _Click._

The door swung open and Ran and Conan made their way into the narrow hall. "Which way should we go?" Ran asked quietly. Conan pointed left, so they went left. The rounded a corner and saw a one-way mirror in the wall. They peered through it, seeing the inside of their bathroom. "Ugh! I got undressed in there! Pervert!" Ran hissed.

"Shh!" Conan whispered. Ran quickly became silent, and they continued on, looking into the rooms of the deceased Moto and General Hamasaki. It was dreadfully unnerving as the bodies looked as if they could rise at any time. At the end of the hall, a narrow set of stairs descended to the lower levels of the house. They carefully made their way down and saw a familiar face not too far away.

"Himura!" Ran whispered. The brunette whipped around with a letter opener raised above his head. "It's Ran and Conan!"

"Good God," he sighed, lowering the letter opener. "Don't ever do that again!" Himura spat, "Ya nearly gave me a damn heart attack!"

"Sorry. I just wanted to tell you it was us so you didn't, you know, stab us."

"Right… well, what have you found?"

Conan said, "There are one-way mirrors in every room we saw. That's how the killer knows where we are at all times."

"I noticed that, too," Himura said, "I followed some wires that lead out of the library's ceiling. There must be hidden video cameras all over the mansion." He furrowed his brows, looking around the corridor. "This bastard is clever, and these damn halls don't seem to end! How the hell are we supposed to catch 'em?!"

Ran whispered, "They could have a room around here… kind of like a home base. We should look for something like that."

"Good idea, Ran. Let's go this way," Conan suggested, walking down the hall where the stairs and library corridor met. Ran followed him and said to Himura:

"Yell if you need us."

Himura nodded and walked a different direction, vanishing quickly. Conan and Ran travelled for what seemed like hours down the slowly dimming hallway. This corridor had no lamps as the others had, so the further they went, the less light there was. Soon they were wandering in a completely dark hallway, unable to see each other.

"Conan!" Ran whispered, "Where are you?"

"In front of you," Conan answered quietly. He pushed a small button on his wristwatch that lit up the face dimly. _What I wouldn't give for this thing to have a flashlight…_ Conan thought. "Can you see my watch, Ran? That's where I am!"

Ran saw the faint blue-green light and reached toward it, grabbing Conan's hand. "I guess this is you!" she chuckled softly as the light vanished.

"Yeah! Now don't let go. We don't wanna get separated." They held each other's hands tightly for fear of losing the other. Eventually Conan bumped into something hard. He ran his hand across the hard thing, guessing it was a wall or door. "I think we've reached the end," he said quietly.

"Now what? Do we turn back?" Ran asked. Conan touched the wall in front of him and eventually found the adjacent wall.

"There must be something… feel around on the walls. Try to find a switch or lever or something. We might be at a door," Conan said. Ran did as she was asked, carefully kneeling down and touching the wall next to her.

Conan turned to face what he thought was the opposite wall, but his hand suddenly extended into open air. Having nothing to grab onto in time, he tumbled down a dark staircase. He cried out, "Ran!"

She couldn't see him, but she called, "Conan?!"

THUD.

Conan hit the ground hard. His glasses skidded across the floor. He lay still for a moment, then muttered, "…nng… dammit." He carefully pushed himself up, checking himself over to see if he'd broken anything. _Arms, good. Legs, good…_ "Urk!" Conan gritted his teeth as he accidentally pressed to hard on his side. _One of my ribs must be broken…_ He sat on the ground nursing his side.

"Conan!" Ran called again.

"I-I'm okay!" Conan lied. The little detective stood slowly, clutching his side and rubbing his head. His hair felt matted and wet. _I must have hit my head pretty hard…_ he thought, swaying as he stood. "There are stairs near you, Ran. Come down carefully," Conan said.

"All right! Don't move till I get there!"

 _I don't think you have to worry about that…_ Conan thought. As Ran progressed down the stairs, Conan used the dim light of his watch to find his glasses. He found that the right lens was cracked, and he nearly collapsed trying to pick them up.

Ran made it to the lower level and whispered, "Where are you, Conan?"

"Here, Ran…" He shone the small watch light and Ran rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?"

Conan nodded. "I'll be fine," he lied. He looked around, trying to get his unfocused eyes to adjust to the darkness. He blinked. "Ran, I'm not hallucinating that light over there, am I?" he asked.

"No, there's light! Come on, Conan, give me your hand," Ran said. He gave her his free hand and they walked slowly towards the light. As they approached, Ran noticed the blood on Conan's hands and head. She immediately stopped him, knelt in front of him, and ordered, "Show me your injuries, Conan."

"W-what? No, they really aren't that bad…" Conan said unconvincingly. She ignored him and examined his head first.

"The wound doesn't look too deep," she murmured. Ran pulled out a handkerchief from her coat pocket and said, "Press this to your head gently. It should stop the bleeding." He did so, so Ran tried to look at Conan's side. He backed away.

"U-um, it's really fine!" Conan assured. Really he was having trouble breathing without feeling like his side was on fire. Ran looked at him skeptically. "Let's just keep going!"

"Conan. Let me see what I can do," Ran said sternly. He sighed.

 _There isn't any arguing with her…_ Conan gingerly lifted his shirt, cringing. His side was severely bruised. Ran gasped.

"My God… we need to get you out of here Conan. You need to see a doctor," ran said. She looked over the bruises again and sighed. "We're going back."

"No, Ran, I can keep going!" Conan said, trying to sound earnest. He carefully rolled his shirt back down. He gave Ran his signature 'everything will be fine' smile. She sighed again.

"Only till the end of the hall. If there's nothing, then we're going back." She scooped up Conan in her arms carefully. He turned bright red.

"R-Ran! I can walk by myself!" Conan protested.

"You'll only make your injury worse," Ran interjected. Her expression lightened and she said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure you're safe."

If Conan could turn a darker shade of red, he would have. Ran carried Conan down to the end of the dimly lit hall. A small door at the hall was slightly open, so the two peered inside. They were speechless. The room had a small mattress in the corner of a huge wall covered in pictures of the guests (minus Conan's) and some woman with the eyes cut out of each photo. Huge red X's covered the guests that had been killed.

A complex array of television monitors and controls lined the opposite wall, each screen corresponding to a room in the mansion. Conan and Ran arrived just in time to witness the fate of Head Judge Taro Wakahisa on the big screen.

 **BANG!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Aaaaaand we're almost done uwu**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

The judge was dead. Shot right through the head. The killer disappeared back into the shadows. Conan and Ran stared in disbelief at the television screen. "H-how…? We disabled the door… he should've…" Ran said, her voice shaking, but Conan shook his head.

"There isn't anything we can do for him now. Obviously the killer must have more ways into the rooms that we don't know about," Conan murmured, his eyes narrowing.

"W-we have to get everyone! We have to warn them—" Ran looked at the television screen. Three men burst into the judge's room. It was Kogorou, Dr. Tsukuda, and Himura.

"He's dead!" Kogorou exclaimed. His voice sounded garbled through the sound system.

"How the hell did this happen!?" Himura asked, "I locked my gun away! Nobody knows the combination but me!"

"W-was it _your_ gun?" asked the doctor. Himura nodded solemnly.

"I found the secret door to my room, so I destroyed the lock. When I went in to check on my briefcase, it was open and the gun was gone!" Himura gasped, then gritted his teeth. "The bastard… he musta seen the combination and stolen it."

Kogorou growled, "Dammit… where the hell are Ran and Conan?! Why haven't they turned up yet?!" He turned to the other two men and snapped, "We _have_ to find them! Did anyone see them recently?"

"I did," Himura replied, nodding, "And I think I remember which way they went."

"Then what the hell are we standing around here for?! They could be in danger!" Kogorou shouted, charging out of the room and out of view of the camera. Dr. Tsukuda and Himura darted after him, leaving the judge's body alone in the room.

"We should go too, Conan," Ran said softly with a shiver, "Get out before the killer comes back."

But Conan shook his head, carefully worming his way out of Ran's arms. His side gave a painful throb, but he ignored it. Walking around the dingy room slowly, the little detective examined the walls carefully. Ran kept close to his side just in case.

"There's nowhere to go," Conan said seriously after a moment, "There's only one way in or out. Even if we leave, we're gonna run into the killer." As if on cue, footsteps echoed faintly in the hall, getting louder as they got closer...

Seeing no way out, Ran placed herself defensively between the injured boy and the door, clenching the fire poker tightly.

The door opened slowly.

A lean man with ratty black hair stood in the doorway. He wore a baggy black shirt and equally baggy, striped pyjama pants. His face was gaunt and scruffy, and he looked dazed, as if he was half asleep. "… ah," he finally said, his voice hoarse, "You've arrived."

"Were you expecting us?" Conan asked, crossing his arms. Ran narrowed her eyes, raising the fire poker. She wasn't afraid to use it if the man tried anything suspicious.

But the man just smiled dreamily. "You seemed to be a clever boy, so I figured it'd only be a matter of time before you found his place." He pulled out the stolen pistol from Himura's briefcase. Conan and Ran froze, preparing for the worst, but the man tossed it on his ratty mattress. It seemed they were safe for now. He gave them a shrug and asked:

"So. You've found me. What do you intend to do? Beat me to death with a fire poker?" He eyed Ran's weapon.

"No, of course not," Conan said. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "We just want to know why. Why did you do all this?"

"Why…?" The man scratched his stubbly chin, shrugging again. "I suppose because it sounded fun."

"Fun?!" Ran suddenly shouted, jabbing the fire poker at the man accusingly, "Six people are _dead_ because of you!"

"Yes, that was my intention."

"What did they ever do to you?!"

"Nothing, I suppose. I don't really remember."

Conan tugged at the hem of Ran's shirt and said, "Please calm down, Ran."

"No, Conan! This man killed six people and he has no remorse at all!" Ran cried furiously. The man simply laughed, his voice echoing in the room.

"They were criminals, too, little girl. Don't you think that's fair? A life for a life?" he asked, his words distant. It was almost like he wasn't even there.

Before Ran could retort, Conan asked softly:

"What's your name?"

The man blinked as if he'd forgotten. "It's… it's Takuma Honda," he replied slowly.

"Takuma Honda, huh? Where have I heard that name…" Conan thought for a moment. He gulped, looking up at Honda with furrowed brows. "… you're a convicted murderer, aren't you?" He remembered working on the case; or rather, Sleeping Kogorou worked on the case.

"I was, yes," Honda murmured, nodding thoughtfully, "Before that I was a writer." He smiled nostalgically.

Ran lowered the fire poker, looking over the man as he daydreamed. "I remember you, too. You only published one book and it was criticised for plagiarism. You murdered two people who accused you of stealing their work, but my father stopped you from murdering a third," Ran said, venom in her words, "In court, you were sentenced to life in prison."

"That's also true," Honda said, the smile fading slightly, "It was hell, you know, that prison…"

"So you broke out," Conan said promptly, "Intent to murder the people who testified against you in court."

Honda nodded. "They all said I was crazy… they're still telling me I'm crazy." The dreamy look on his face slowly warped into something more disturbed, his eyes and grin widening. "What the hell do they know? They're all dead! Dead, dead, dead…" He clasped his hands to his head, grabbing at his hair.

 _He's insane… we have to be careful on how we continue_ … Conan thought. "Ran," he said, pulling on her shirt again. She knelt down next to him and Conan continued in a whisper, "Let me do the talking. The man is mad and we shouldn't upset him." Reluctantly, Ran nodded, straightening up and keeping an eye on Honda, fire poker at the ready.

"What?" Honda asked, his eyes darting around the room, "What was that? _They_ think I'm crazy, too?" He looked back at Conan and Ran, his shoulders going slack. "I don't want to kill her _now_ … it wouldn't be following the story!"

"No, no, Mr. Honda! We think you're really brilliant!" Conan said, laying on the flattery, "I'm one the best thinkers here and you had me fooled! You surprised me at every turn!" He nudged Ran with his elbow discreetly, glancing towards the door. Honda was busy pacing in front of his bed, so Conan and Ran inched towards the door.

They stopped when Honda turned his attention to them. "Really?" he asked, "Because Ms. Christie told me I couldn't do it!" Turning in his place, he glared at the picture of the woman with her eyes cut out.

"Ms. Christie told you _that_? How rude!" Conan replied in disbelief. They were so close to the door, but Honda whipped back around to face the two, a triumphant smile on his face.

"I know! I said, 'I could pull off those murders and no one would know who did it! I'd go down in history as the greatest murderer in the world!'" His smile suddenly turned into a frown as he scratched his head. "Wait… I said _that_?" Honda's gaze drifted to Ran then to Conan, and he let out a pitiful wail. "No! Then Ms. Christie _was_ right! Some bitch and some snot nosed brat found me! I failed!"

Conan waved his hands in front of his face and said quickly, "N-no! You didn't fail! You'll just have to try again! It'll work out!"

Honda struck his head repeatedly with his fists. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! STOP SAYING I FAILED! I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T!" he shrieked. His calm eyes turned wild as he lunged for Ran's fire poker, kicking Conan out of the way. The little detective landed on his injured side and cried out in pain.

Ran and Honda wrestled for control of the fire poker. He tore it out of her hands, but she was too fast for him. As quick as lightning, Ran smashed her foot into the madman's nose, sending him flying into the wall of pictures.

She was at Conan's side in a flash, helping him to his feet. "Are you okay, Conan?" she asked urgently.

"I-I think…" Conan hissed, pressing a hand to his side. Honda's kick hadn't been extremely powerful, but it had certainly worsened Conan's condition. _Damn… we have to get out of here!_ he thought, turning to face the door. "C'mon, Ran!" he said, grabbing her hand.

But Honda started to rise to his feet as if he were possessed. He scraped the fire poker across the ground as he advanced. Ran took up a fighting stance, putting herself between Conan and the murderer. "Ready for round two?!" she snarled fiercely.

Honda giggled, swaying slightly, blood staining his face. "They're telling me not to kill you~ Not yet, anyway~ You come very last, by your own hand~!" he said in a singsong voice, "But whatever… you've crossed the line, bitch~ Accusing me of _plagiarism_? Accusing me of _murder?_ I only did as I was told~!"

He swung the fire poker at Ran's head, but she sidestepped him expertly. She drove a series of punches into Honda's side. He hardly seemed phased, and he head butted her in the nose, laughing maniacally. Ran staggered back, stunned for a moment, but she regained her footing, matching blows with the madman.

Honda lashed out with an unexpected kick to Ran's stomach, and she let out a pained cry. Before she could back away from him, the madman grabbed her by the hair with his free hand, a crazed smile warping his face as he raised the fire poker above his head. "Goodbye, little girl~"

Conan may have been injured, but he wasn't about to sit quietly and watch Ran get killed before his eyes. Grabbing an old soup can that had been carelessly discarded, Conan powered up his shoes and wound up for a kick, aiming at Honda's head.

 _CRACK!_

He didn't even know what hit him. The next thing he knew, Conan was lying on his side, coughing violently. Instead of striking Ran, Honda swung the fire poker at the little detective, the metal rod crashing against his injured ribs.

"Conan!" Ran cried, letting out a furious snarl and lashing out against Honda, punching and kicking at anything she could. The madman's grip was too strong, and he drove his knee into her stomach.

Honda threw the coughing girl to the floor next to Conan, his smile wide and toothy. "Seems this is the end, eh, Mr. Detective~?" he asked. He giggled and turned to face the wall of pictures, his back to his victims. The madman spread his arms and cried, "See, Ms. Christie?! I could still kill them all! No one will find the killer after all!" His cackle echoed throughout the room, but he stopped suddenly when the door knob rattled. "Helloooooo~? Who is it?" Honda called.

No answer. The door knob rattled some more. Honda was getting annoyed. "HELLOOOOO~?! WHO. IS. IT?" he spat every word, his teeth bared. Again, no answer. Grumbling under his breath, he stormed towards the door.

While Honda was distracted, Ran crawled over to Conan, tears stinging at her eyes. "Oh, God, Conan…" she sniffled, "Please don't be dead…!" She was more than relieved when she saw the little detective's chest rise and fall slowly.

Honda whipped back around, pointed the fire poker at Ran, and shrieked:

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK. DADDY NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF SOME UNWANTED VISITORS~" The madman threw open the door and thrust the fire poker into—

-open air. Honda blinked. Nobody was there. He stepped out into the hall tentatively.

From either side of the door, Kogorou, Himura, and Dr. Tsukuda jumped on the murderer. He and the other men collapsed in a screaming, grunting heap. Kogorou and the others struggled to keep Honda down. The lean man was surprisingly strong for someone his size.

"Dad!" Ran cried, "Conan's… Conan's hurt badly!"

"Ran, get outta here!" Kogorou shouted back over Honda's screaming, "We'll hold him down! Just go!"

"WHY ARE YOU ALL RUINING THE STORY?!" Honda roared. He elbowed Himura in the nose and savagely bit down on Dr. Tsukuda's hand. The doctor reeled back and Himura loosened his grip on the mad man. Honda took advantage of that lapse and head butted Himura with a bone crunching crack.

With his support down, Kogorou managed to hold Honda in a headlock, though the murderer struggled violently in his grip, trying to lash out in any way he could. Finally, Honda slammed his heel down into Kogorou's foot and leapt away from the detective, a crooked smile crossing his face. He swung the fire poker at Kogorou's head, but the detective blocked it, wincing as the metal rod struck his arm. Though in the split second of Honda's confusion, Kogorou drove his free fist into Honda's already broken nose, and grabbed the madman by the wrist and hurled him over his shoulder with a furious roar. Honda slammed into the ground, stunned.

"That's for the brat," Kogorou hissed as Honda went limp. He clutched his injured arm and turned his attention to his daughter, darting into the room and asking:

"Ran! Are you okay?"

Ran threw her arms around her father in a tight hug. "D-dad… Conan, he…" she stammered, glancing back at the little detective. Himura and Dr. Tsukuda came to their senses and entered the room as well, and the doctor examined Conan carefully.

"He's in a very critical state… we have to get him to a hospital as soon as possible," Dr. Tsukuda said, "Himura, help me pick him up; I don't want to aggravate his wounds."

Himura nodded, but before he could do anything, he let out a gasp when he saw the outline of Honda raise the fire poker above his head, ready to split the doctor's head open, a cold grin warping his face.

Time seemed to slow down. Ran and Kogorou were charging towards the mad man; Dr. Tsukuda turned his head, eyes wide in horror; Himura trying to scramble to his feet.

Conan, just barely conscious, raised his arms, clicked his watch open, and fired a single dart. It struck Honda square between the eyes. The madman's eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he crumpled in a twisted heap, unconscious.

"There…" Conan whispered, his vision going dark, "… there were some." He blacked out, finally able to rest.

* * *

 **uwu**


End file.
